A native’s guide to San Francisco Bay Area real estate professionals & cities

Day: July 24, 2008

Post navigation

Today’s banking industry climate, with mortgage meltdown disasters laying waste to financial institution books, demands consumers pay attention and perform due diligence before depositing their hard earned monies. The following ad has a unintended “Enron” feel to it in my opinion.

In what may become a defense mechanism brought on by the IndyMac Bank failure and “run” linesreminiscent of the stock market crash of 1929, local small bank Luther Burbank Savings of Northern California has gone on a reputation management campaign in local print media. The campaign has a simple message–we are solvent and in good shape therefore don’t be afraid to deposit money with us.

“Statement of Condition”

This is an advertisement comprised of a letter to customers touting the “exceptional year 2007 was for the bank with deposit growth of 24%. The statement also addresses the bank’s 25th Anniversary and how “relationships developed. . . are among our most rewarding results.”

Assets

This section of the add gives a accounting line item breakdown as follows:

Does this disclaimer really mean that they can twist the numbers in any fashion legally to make them look more solvent? Is this institution fooling itself? Fooling consumers? Or is this a form of advertisement we will see moving forward for every banking institution?

In my opinion this type of advertisement, in the face of the Enrons and cooked books business culture we have suffered through in the past, is nothing more than meaningless fluff.

Why fluff? Because for this ad to have ANY validity they should have two independent accounting firms, with no PRIOR contract work with Luther Burbank, conduct separate audits for transparent and objective information. That would be the only believable scenario in my opinion